Anthropic appoints former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke to its independent trust

On Thursday, Anthropic revealed that it has appointed Ben Bernanke, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, to its Long-Term Benefit Trust. This independent governance body plays a crucial role in advising the company and selecting its board members. Bernanke, who led the Fed from 2006 to 2014, stepped into a challenging role during the 2008 financial crisis, which was the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. During his tenure, Bernanke was instrumental in implementing zero interest rates and quantitative easing, strategies that shaped modern economic policy. After his time at the Fed, he has held several prominent positions, including at the Brookings Institution, Citadel, and Pimco. His contributions to economic research were recognized in 2022 when he received the Nobel Prize in economics for his work on the causes of the Great Depression. In his new position with Anthropic, Bernanke will assist the company in navigating the transformative impact of AI on the economy. He expressed his commitment to the role, stating, "Anthropic has created a unique governance structure to try to ensure that the long-run benefits of AI for humanity far outweigh the risks. I am honored to have this opportunity and will strive to contribute to this critical mission." Founded in 2021 by a group of researchers and executives who left OpenAI, Anthropic is valued at approximately $965 billion and is preparing for a significant initial public offering, potentially as early as this year. Bernanke joins a distinguished group on the Long-Term Benefit Trust, which already includes Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, national security expert Richard Fontaine, and international affairs specialist Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, who was appointed in January. The trust members do not possess any equity in Anthropic and are compensated solely for their time and effort, according to the company’s guidelines. New trustees are selected by existing members in consultation with Anthropic.